FRIENDS
by angeltaurusmoon
Summary: Summary: Kagome has a chance to graduate in another district. She leaves for three months while the rest of the team start to train for the final confrontation with Naruku. But there is a bigger threat than Naruku and no body but Kagome knowns what thatis


Summary: Kagome has a chance to graduate in another district. She leaves for three months while the rest of the team start to train for the final confrontation with Naruku. But there is a bigger threat than Naruku and no body but Kagome knowns what that threat is. Can Kagome find the strength to fight this new threat or will it destroy her? And who is the friend Kagome left behind when she was young?

Authors note: Hey, it's my first fic on this site so please be gentle with reviews. Reviews that tell me the correct way to spell some of the Japanese would be a plus.

Disclaimer: I don't own either show! I wish that I did because I love most of the characters.

_FRIENDS_

Chapter 1: leaving

"Why do you have to go?" yelled an irate hanyou.

"We've been threw this a hundred times already Inu Yasha." Sighed an equally irate human female. "I have to go because I've had too many absences from school. This is my only chance of graduating, I can't just ignore that" Kagome paused in her packing with her back turned to her friend she couldn't be certain but knowing Inu Yasha as long as she had some how she could tell he was pouting. Glancing over her shoulder she saw the inu-hanyou in his signature pose of his arms crossed his nose slightly in the air his small ears that she loved so much laid back and his bottom lip sticking out only a little. Kagome removed her eyes from the sight and resumed her packing, if she wasn't so sick of having this argument she would have found his appearance adorable.

"You could just stay in my time then you wouldn't have to worry about stupid stuff like graduating."

"We've been thrown that too a hundred times. Who knows what damage could be done if I stay in your time. I could whined up screwing things up to the point I wouldn't even be born. And there is no guarantee that when the jewel is complete that it won't send me back to my own time." Kagome pushed the last of her items into her bag and turned her full attention on her long time friend. Sitting down on her bed Kagome studied Inu Yasha. She could see his pose slump at the truth of her words.

It had now been two and a half years of chasing the Shikon jewel. The only pieces remaining were those stuck in the legs of Koaga the wolf prince, the shard in Kohaku the young tayjia boy and all the other shards were in the hands of Naraku. Kagome absent mindedly played with the half of the shikon that hung from her neck.

The group of shard hunters had grown greatly over the last year it now consisted of Lord Sesshomaru, Rin, Jaken, Ah- Ha, Koaga, Gina and Sussa, Sango, Miroku, Kilala, Shippo, Inu Yasha and herself. It was a strange sight to see with so many natural enemies working together. Even Inu Yasha and Lord Sesshomaru had been getting along more…. Well that is they are both alive…. For the time being. It had been agreed that the group or as Lord Sesshomaura described them, the pack should take a break and begin training for the final confrontation with the half demon Nauraku.

That had been the time that Kagome had told every one about her chance to go to school in another district so that she could receive her high school dipoloma. Every one even Lord Sesshomaura agreed immediately to her request of staying in her time for the next three months. She hadn't known but apparently her situation of living two lives in two different times had been the subject of many late night chats amongst the older members of the group. They didn't need persuasion they all had come to except that Kagome was not apart of their time no matter how much she and they may have wanted her to be. And there was no denying her logic of having to complete her education in order to obtain a job with a large enough income that it could support not only her but Shippo as well.

Yes, Shippo. Forty-nine days had passed since she had adopted the small forest kitsune as her own. Not that the adoption was needed to prove the devotion between surrogate mother and son, no one could deny it when they saw how Kagome and Shippo interacted with each other. But Kagome feared that if the jewel did take her back to her own time that she would lose her precious son forever the thought made her weep for days before it was decided that she should adopt Shippo by youkia standards. By youkia standards a child is apart of a mother there for there never could be a separation between the two. Inu Yasha and Sesshomaru had stood witness for the child's side because Shippo had no other relatives and Sango and Miroku stood on the mother's side because Kagome couldn't bring her mother and brother to that time. The whole ceremony was done under a full moon and something hung in the air like the union of her and Shippo was blessed but unworldly things. There had been some concern that something could happen to either Kagome or Shippo because of the mixing of blood but when the time came Kagome's pure blood more than took to Shippo's demon blood and vice versa for Shippo. Kagome was an unmarried seventeen year old with a son and she couldn't be happier. The fear that she still may be separated from her son despite the adoption remain in her heart but she refused to let it show and rob her of happy moments with him. But that was another reason she had to leave him in his own time for a while. Lord Sesshomaura had offered to teach the over active kit some things in self-defense. Being a mother Kagome knew that she wouldn't be able to hold her self in check during those lessons even though she agreed they were necessary. The mother's drive to protect her young was in full force where Shippo was concerned.

'I wonder if Sesshomaura has begun his lessons yet. I wanted to see Shippo one last time before I left.' Thought Kagome as she turned her head to look out her window at the shed that held the well that took her to the past. It was rather remarkable how much her relationship with Sesshomaura had changed from trying to kill her with his poison to teaching her son how to defend himself. But then as he told her one night she had earned his respect, something not easily accomplished.

Kagome turned her head back to Inu Yasha mournfully knowing that the taiyoukia known for his fighting skills wouldn't waste any time starting a new student in training and Shippo had been so eager to learn how to fight and defend that he had probably been the one who insisted they begin their lessons the second she was out of sight. Her little Shippo was so determined to protect his mother that it even made Sesshomaura beam with pride as the kit excitedly told of all the things he would do to any one who tried to hurt her. It was going to be strange not having him curled up next to her at night as was the norm for their sleeping arrangements. Kagome laid a delicate hand on her bed marveling at how much even now she missed the physical affection that was apart of kitsune nature.

A flicker of aura brought her musings to an end. Now her dear friend looked totally defeated, apparently she had been the only one thinking of things in those few silent moments. Their relationship had changed the most over the last years… it had to. At fifteen Kagome believed herself in love with Inu Yasha at sixteen she realized they were good friends and at seventeen she accepted that he was her second best friend in the entire world. The position of her first best friend had been filled long ago when she was only a child. Now Inu Yasha had found a place in the ranks if you will. She had lost her first best friend at the age of seven due to the fact after her father's death her mother had moved them away from the memories that haunted them. Kagome had been broken by the separation of some one that felt like apart of her own self. For years she had insured that no one built such a connection to her again her fear that they too would leave her. But some how Inu Yasha with all the charm of a dieing toad had built a connection allowing her to feel free to seek out others such as Sango and Miroku. Maybe one day she would tell Inu Yasha that he wasn't the only one who was grateful for their friendship but for now she would leave it where it was. After all she still had her secrets just as he had his.

Kagome stood up from her bed. Smiling one of her 'lets just be happy' smiles that Inu Yasha was growing used to. Inu Yasha looked at her suspiciously sensing her reluctance to let him continue to be angry with her.

"So how long will you be gone for?" He asked ignoring the sparkle in her eye that spoke of her victory. 'Some times I wonder if she isn't a kitsune with how much she enjoys watching me squirm'

"Three months, but it will go pretty fast"

"Says you," He mumbled. Inu Yasha sniffed the air and his mood lightened almost a hundred fold.

'Ramen' Kagome thought to herself as she tried to fight the smile on her face to reflect her amusement at such an easy distraction.

Inu Yasha headed for the bedroom door slowly not wanting to let it show how much he loved the noodle dish she had introduced him to after they first met. His hand hovered on the doorknob as he seamed to debate with himself and what he wanted to say. Surprised by the hesitation kagome waited for him in silence wondering what would cause the change in his aura.

"Inu yasha?" she questioned breaking the silence.

"It won't go fast." He said simply as he left the room and headed down the stairs to the kitchen where he knew a bowl of ramen awaited him.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at his retreating form knowing that was his way of saying he would miss her while she was gone. Never would the stubborn idiot ever come right out and say it but then she would never want him to it would be to against his nature. For now she would settle with the underlined meaning behind his words. Shaking her head to dispel her thoughts she returned to her packing.

Author's note: short chapter but I promise they will get longer with reviews. Oh and Sussa is the name I made up for the second wolf demon that travels with Koaga I can't think of his name.


End file.
